Analysis: Health care, tax cuts issues colliding LITTLE ROCK (AP) — How do you convince Republicans who took over the Arkansas Legislature by vowing to fight “Obamacare” to support government-subsidized health insurance? The same way you convince a Democratic governor who has said his budget can’t include more tax cuts to agree to a large package of reductions. As Arkansas lawmakers approach what could be the final weeks of this year’s session, it’s becoming clearer that proposals to expand ...

The meaning of the mealThis week I met with some pastor friends for our weekly breakfast. A point was raised about “table fellowship” helping people to develop true relationships. As I listened, my thoughts turned to this week we call “holy,” and to the significance of eating together. I was reminded how the table truly establishes relationships with people, and also with God. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, the apostle Paul gives insight into the “Last Supper” meal that...

The importance of commitmentVince Lombardi became a national symbol of commitment. During his nine seasons as head coach of the previously mediocre Green Bay Packers, Lombardi led the team to five NFL championships and victory in the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi once said, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion with their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” True to his word, Lombardi’s life exhibited an outstanding...

Don’t pass law unless neededState legislators generally do a good job of considering the issues, and I’m not one who bashes them. But we’ve reached the point in the session when I am looking forward to them going home. Otherwise, they might pass more bills like House Bill 1712. The bill, among other provisions, makes it illegal for any voter to photograph their marked ballot. It should be known as the “Your ballot isn’t really your ballot; it’s ours” bill. Supporters, an...

Erogenous zones no longer on displayJust last week, I was commiserating with other moms of middle-school teenage girls about the lack of appealing clothing available to teenage girls and the appalling state of girl teenage fashion today. You can find a few decent outfits, (cute but not risque), but they are few and far between. Once a girl outgrows Laura Ashley’s offerings, she can find little more from mass merchandisers than clothes that appear to have been designed for young,...

Debate over steel plant presents conflictDebate over state financial incentives for the proposed Big River Steel plant, which would be built in Mississippi County, takes center stage in the Arkansas Legislature this week, presenting some intriguing political conflicts. Lawmakers are considering a $125 million bond program, apparently necessary for the $1.1 billion plant to be built. When the project was announced in January, supporters said it would bring 500 to 800 jobs with an aver...

Reform or repeal Obama health careColleague Steve Brawner wrote an excellent column last week on Arkansas’ bipartisan Medicaid fix. His point is one worth highlighting and further exploring. He observed that the Arkansas Legislature offers a positive contrast to Washington in the way lawmakers are navigating the tricky waters of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare. Republican leaders in the Legislature and the Democratic governor have formed a ra...

Logging industry in Yell CountyLogging has long been an important industry in the state. The timber industry developed rapidly after the Civil War, expanding in all directions from the hardwoods and pines in the Ozark and Ouachita mountains to the hardwoods growing in the river bottoms of the Delta, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. In the days before the railroad and, later, paved roads and semi trucks, logging operations consisted of men with ...

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Meredith Martin-MoatsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Mental health ills, treatmentsIn this article I will cover another disorder and then start on some potential treatments. There are many mental health disorders so I am trying to cover some of the more well known initially. Panic disorder is a serious condition that occurs suddenly without any apparent reason or warning. Symptoms of this include sudden attacks of fear, nervousness, difficulty breathing, pounding heart or chest pain, sweating, intense feeling of dread, tremb...

Market zoning and partiesScatter shooting while wondering whatever happened to Ron Calcagni. A proposed aquatic center and a proposed Walmart Neighborhood Market; the downtown road work, and a number of planned road projects; and a sales tax election is on the horizon to help pay for projects like the swimming pool and other city improvements around Russellville: There sure is a lot to talk about in Pope County these days. That’s good news for the community. It’s alwa...

April is Child Abuse Prevention MonthThe month of April is observed nationally as Child Abuse Prevention Month and has been observed since its first presidential proclamation in 1983. Since then, individuals and organizations throughout the country, including in our community, have joined together to raise awareness of child abuse and its prevention. The most recent Arkansas statistics indicate that 35,743 reported cases of child abuse and neglect were investigated by DCFS in 201...

Chartering a difficult reform courseWe all know the value of experimentation. You try something, it fails. You keep trying, and eventually you get a light bulb or a man on the moon. In the meantime, however, you’ve had a lot of flops and maybe some disasters. OK, so how do you experiment with schools? What do you do about the kids who spend three years in one of the experiments that doesn’t work? That’s one of the questions at the heart of the charter school debate. Charter scho...

Analysis: Budget balance is in eye of the beholder WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to budgets, balance is in the eye of the congressional beholder. To House Republicans, it means a balanced budget in a decade, achieved by $4.6 trillion in spending cuts and without any tax increases. To Senate Democrats, it means a balanced plan, about $975 billion in higher taxes and a spending reduction of about $875 billion, not counting cancellation of $1.2 trillion in existing across-the-board-cuts. That m...

How to start a fightThe Bible says there will always be wars and rumors of wars. This means that at some time, in some way, someone had to start a fight, often with devastating consequences. To be sure, as human beings we are each unique with our own distinct personalities. Some individuals like to fight while others don’t. Personally, I detest controversy and I hate violence, but there comes a time in most of our lives when we have to take a stand, and this migh...

The significance of PassoverThis week, Jews around the world are celebrating the Passover. It will begin Monday evening at sunset, and is observed through Tuesday, April 2. In preparation, families remove all the leavens, like yeast, baking soda, baking powder and sodium bicarbonate from their homes, cleaning them from top to bottom to ensure that no crumb is left behind. I suppose that is how the tradition of “spring cleaning” came about. But it is really about much mor...

You will see God todayYou will see God today. You will see Him in the grandeur of nature. Each budding flower and tree is a testimony to His creative artistry. The sky is the canvas upon which He paints the brilliant rays of sunshine, the magnificent expanse of the universe and the clouds that provide the source of refreshing rain. Majestic mountains rise from the earth as statues sculpted by His fingertips to provide scenic contour to the landscape. Rivers, lakes,...

Why should we lower speeds on city streets?I am often asked why the speed limits for Parkway Avenue cannot be raised. This is a reasonable question and brings up an issue of some importance to this community. The traffic engineering community is in a transition from an emphasis on automobile focused design to consideration of all potential users. Walking, jogging, and cycling are becoming more popular transportation choices because of an emphasis on saving money (pavement), improving h...

Cutting Arkansas Tech funding hurts communityAs you know, Arkansas Tech has been a constant economic foundation for the Russellville economy for over 100 years. For the past 20 years, Tech has produced consistent growth for our community, bringing in salary dollars, sales tax, work force and local spending at your stores and businesses. Tech now provides $218,000,000 each year in economic impact to our area. Any of us who provide services, consumer goods, or own rental properties know ju...

Wildwood FlowerThis past Christmas a dear friend gave me a copy of the 2012 publication “The Carter Family: Don’t Forget This Song,” a graphic novel tracing the history of first family of country music. Known for songs such as “Wildwood Flower,” “Can the Circle Be Unbroken,” “Hello Stranger,” and “Keep on the Sunnyside,” the Carter Family recorded hundreds of tunes in the 1920s through the 1940s, leaving behind a huge collection of traditional music and layi...

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Meredith Martin-MoatsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

From one party rule to one party rule?From the post-Civil War era until recently, Arkansas was a one-party state dominated by Democrats. Even some Democrats recognized this as a problem, which is why they were receptive when Winthrop Rockefeller moved to Arkansas and began building the Republican Party. Case in point: a 1960 “Party for Two Parties” he hosted on Petit Jean Mountain drew 850 guests from both sides of the aisle. It may be time for another one of those parties – this ...